John Huston (1906–1987)

John Huston crafted this very fine film with the underlying theme of isolation from a play by Maxwell Anderson. The backdrop of a gangster taking over a hotel in the Florida Keys is filled with inner emotional depth rather than a lot of action, making this the most mature and realistic of romances Bogart and Bacall would have on screen.

Major Frank McCloud (Bogart) shows up at the Largo hotel in the Keys to see his war buddy's father and widow to give them some news about how George died a hero. McCloud became disillusioned while trying to save the world and has been drifting since the war in both a personal and literal sense.

Nora (Bacall) had been drifting before she met George and begins to feel this same connection to Frank as they talk about their lives since the war. There is a maturity here as Huston shows a deeper aspect to caring about someone rather than the fireworks of physical attraction. The themes of loneliness and isolation run through every aspect of this film.

Frank once again must decide whether to save the world when the Largo is taken over by fallen gangster Johnny Rocco (Robinson). Rocco was once big and despite his deportation back to Cuba by the United States government as an undesirable, plans to be big again. Frank had gone to war as an idealist, hoping to rid the world of gangsters like Rocco but now views it as a lost cause.

Nora is a reminder to Frank, however, that while your head may say one thing, your whole life can say another. As the tension of being held hostage during an approaching hurricane in the sweltering Keys intensifies, Frank slowly begins to go with his whole life rather than his head, breaking his own personal isolation from the fight he gave up. The turning point comes when Rocco humiliates his former girlfriend, Gay Dawn (Claire Trevor), by making her sing for a drink, then refusing to come across with it when she complies.

Claire Trevor gives a moving performance as a girl much like Nora who simply got hooked up with the wrong guy, and became a lush. She will have her own turning point and help Frank when he’s forced to take Rocco and his pals back to Cuba. Lionel Barrymore gives a good performance also as George’s disabled father, holding on to his son’s memory and his beliefs.

A great score by Max Steiner complements the lonely mood of this film perfectly. Bacall is terrific waiting for Frank to return against the odds, wondering if she can open the shutters of her loneliness and let the light in once more. This is a somber and mature film that deserves to be viewed more than once. Bogart and Bacall fans will love this film, but they’ll find much more here than just Bogie and Bacall. A minor masterpiece and one you need to see.… (more)

OK, so it's a classic, and I'm sure I've seen it in the past. I watched it a few weeks ago with a family including children down to the age of four, and was slightly shocked that it was rated ""U"" (""G"" in the USA) given that there was some bad language (albeit minor), drunkenness (albeit humorous, or supposedly so) and even some sexual references.

Having said that, it was a likeable film on the whole. Well-known story of a precocious orphan who can sing, and who gets fostered for a week by a wealthy man. I don't particularly like the music, and found Annie slightly annoying; the ending is melodramatic and predictable. But still, I watched it to the end and might even watch it again one day.… (more)